An old friend from Southend (see my shot of TF-OAB in 1971), this seized veteran crashed near Leticia on 24th July, 1985

This colourful Dak, caught here during a short stopover, remains active in Colombia and later actually based at Villavicencio with Aerovanguardia as HK-3199. Derelict there in 2017. Note "Equipado con Radar" marking and mud on the wheels from landings at remote strips

My first trip to the legendary Villavicencio was aboard this wonderful old machine. Had the choice of a DC-3 or DC-4, both delayed by bad weather over the mountains. Well looked after by a very pleasant crew, the FAC pilots just like they were out of a WW2 B-17

The no.2 P&W Twin Wasp explodes into life to join the other three. A/c was derelict and engineless at Madrid AB near Bogota in 2005

Quite a collection of piston power. After much research with a Colombian expert, the identity of this C-47 is now known (2021), as are several of the previously unknown FAC Daks. FAC677A turns out to be the former N91379, which was delivered to Colombia circa 1981. I was lucky enough to be able to tour the COTAM ramp allowing for close up shots of that rare DC-7 (FAC923) which was originally BOAC's G-AOIA, although the weather didn't play ball.

Among the many interesting airframes displayed by the Fuerza Aerea Colombiana outside their CATAM base at El Dorado is this rare Junkers W34. Although large numbers were built from 1926 as a development of the W33, only three survive world-wide, the other two in Sweden and Canada; 12 were once operated by the FAC, serving in the Colombia-Peru War of 1932-33